Over the Christmas holidays a banner appeared at the dangerous A281 crossing on the Downs Link close to the spot where Pathushan Sutharsan was killed in July 2020.
It read: “All I want for Christmas is to Bridge the Downs Link!”
The banner was later joined by flowers left by Pathushan’s family who regularly visit the site to pay their respects.
In September last year a ghost bike was placed at the crossing to highlight the continuing danger, and in July to mark two years since Pathushan was killed, family members gathered at the crossing for a memorial event where a close family friend addressed those paying respects: “My humble request is please name it as ‘Pathushan’s bridge’. That will be his legacy.”
West Sussex County Council have said a bridge is their preferred option. They’ve told us they are currently looking at the feasibility of both a Pegasus crossing and a bridge. We know that a Pegasus crossing still has technical issues to overcome and may not end up being that much cheaper than a bridge – whilst still not providing an adequate solution to the problem. A bridge is the only solution that ensures ALL users of the Downs Link crossing will be safe. No-one wants another death at the crossing.
What will 2023 bring? Will this finally be the year when the crossing is made safe for everyone?
You can support the campaign by writing to your local County councillor, displaying one of our posters and signing up for email updates.